Chris O’Dowd, who broke through with Bridesmaids, will star opposite Adam Driver in The Coward, an adaptation of the Nick Jones play being directed by Max Winkler.

Big Beach’s Marc Turtletaub and Peter Saraf are producing and financing the indie, with Scot Armstrong and Ravi Nandan’s American Work Inc. also producing.

The story is set in 18th century England and focuses on the cowardly son of a nobleman (Driver), who, with his six other brothers already killed in duels, decides to hire a common criminal (O’Dowd) to fight a contest. Things go downhill after the criminal tries to kill the man, and take his place in high society, something the father completely goes along with.

O’Dowd worked with Driver on HBO’s Girls and is starring in the cable channel’s Christopher Guest show Family Tree, which debuts in May.

The actor also will appear in Thor: The Dark World, now in postproduction, and is gearing up to shoot the indie St. Vincent de Van Nuys with Bill Murray.